This January, British journalist Alex Preston submitted a review of Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s novel ‘Watching Over Her’ to The New York Times, which was polished with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. The piece borrowed phrases from a Guardian review of the same book written by Christobel Kent, published four months earlier. Preston had not noticed, but a reader did. After an investigation, The Times cut ties with him permanently. The use of AI for writing is a concern that researchers have been trying to quantify. What happens when humans outsource their thinking to AI? Findings show that originality is compromised, and the brain scans now suggest a loss in cognitive function itself. Before 2022, writing an essay meant struggling through half-formed ideas, bad starts, and rewrites. Today, it can begin and end by typing a few prompts into ChatGPT, launched in November 2022. The result comes fast and looks clear. After revision, the essay will be ready for submission. For all the efficiency gains that AI promises, the summaries, the drafted emails, the instant answers, researchers began documenting effects on the brain when it is no longer asked…
